Alfred Cowles, Jr.

Biography

Alfred Cowles Jr. was born in 1865 into a family whose name was already shaping Chicago’s economic and cultural life, and he carried that heritage forward with a calm and steady approach to business and investment. Long before modern indexes took shape, he saw the value of gathering data, of taking a measured look at markets, and of investing in sound principles that would endure.

He also believed strongly in supporting education, civic institutions, and the arts, quietly offering backing to research initiatives and charities that shared his faith in progress. Alfred’s shrewdness never eclipsed his generosity, and those who worked with him remember a gentleman of thoughtful counsel and a rare sense of responsibility.